Here are some of the recipes from the dinner party. I believe that I have already given my recipe for chicken liver pate – check the search function of my site. Now, I am wondering if I forgot to put the butter in it… Hmmmm… I put it in some fluted brioche molds to make it more decorative. I served it with crackers, and bought some colorful cream cheese terrines from Costco to augment it. I believe that the pate is better with French bread, too. I will include the recipe for my sister-in-law’s stuffed mushrooms later.
A LOT of people brought wine, so I didn’t even have to use the two giant bottles of Cook’s sparkling wine that I had bought. I attempted to make something blackberry-like to add to the champagne, to try and recreate kir aux mures, which I had once had in France. I had bought what I thought was the blackberry equivalent of creme de cassis, only to find out it was brandy, and way too strong. So, I settled for a bottle of blackberry syrup (the type you put on pancakes and waffles), poured into a pitcher and augmented with the blackberry brandy. It was not bad!
I had also read a recipe in the December Martha Stewart Living for Lemonade Cairpirinhas, and, since I still had a bottle of cachaca (Brazilian rum), I thought I would make up a pitcher. I have included a recipe for caipirinhas before, but here is the only thing I could find on the Martha Stewart Living website. Instead of pouring it into glasses, crush the limes in a pitcher, and add lemonade (I used Minute Maid cartons) and chachaca and ice.
Caipirinha (Serves 4)
Cachaça is a potent sugarcane liquor used in this Brazilian national drink. You can substitute light rum if you can’t find cachaça.
2 limes, cut in half
8 teaspoons sugar
Coarsely crushed ice
1 cup cachaça
Put a lime half in each of four tumblers, and sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons sugar. Using a wooden reamer, crush the flesh of the limes. Fill glasses with ice, and pour cachaça over it. Stir well, and serve.
I will add the recipe for stuffed mushrooms later.
Maison Celeste 